


The Bookstore

by primaryglitch



Series: Soul to Soul [1]
Category: Soul Eater
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-31
Updated: 2019-07-31
Packaged: 2020-07-28 04:56:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20058370
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/primaryglitch/pseuds/primaryglitch
Summary: Maka convinces Soul to go to the bookstore with her, and together they learn a bit more about each other.





	The Bookstore

“Maka, tell me again why we are going to the bookstore,” Soul groaned.

“I need more books, I thought it was self-explanatory,” Maka responded bluntly.

“Maka you already have enough books, too many books actually.”

“But those are mostly for school, I just want some to read for enrichment.”

“Readings fun for you? Typical,” Soul scoffed. “Why can’t we do something actually fun like basketball or taking a ride?”

“What's that supposed to mean? And I don’t see anyone forcing you to come with me. Also, you never offer to take me out on your bike”

“Because if I don’t keep you in line you’ll buy out the whole store. And I never offer because it doesn’t seem like your type of thing”

“How would you know if you never offered?” Maka huffed.

“Wait,” Soul paused, actually stopped walking causing Maka to be a few paces ahead of him,” You actually want to ride with me?”

“Well, yeah,” Maka said as she turned around, rubbing her boot nervously into the ground, “It’s something you enjoy. Aren’t partners supposed to share that type of thing?”

“So you only want to because it would improve our resonance,” Soul said looking to the side, refusing to meet Maka’s eyes, trying to hide his disappointment. Shame on him for thinking otherwise.

“Damn it, Soul! Why do you have to be like this? I want to do it because I like doing things with you, why do you think I invited you to come with me to the bookstore in the first place!” Maka nearly yelled, catching the attention of a few bystanders.

“Maka, Maka calm down, okay? I’ll take you out sometime, I just never knew you wanted to. I can’t read minds, okay?” Soul reasoned, trying to calm Maka down.

Maka just huffed in response before turning around and saying, “Come on, let’s just get to the bookstore. I don’t want to argue. Let’s at least try to make this enjoyable.”

Since Maka wasn’t yelling anymore, Soul considered that a win. Not wanting to aggravate her anymore, he fell in line with her pace and walked with her. He had a good idea of where they were going, there weren’t that many bookstores in Death City and nowhere else was within walking distance. Soon they arrived at their usual strip of stores, but Maka veered off to the left, heading into an alley.  
As if sensing Soul’s confusion, Maka answered,” I don’t usually go here. It’s a smaller shop and doesn’t regularly carry the book recommended for our curriculum. I’ve actually only been here once when I first came to Death City.”

“What made you come back?” Soul asked, confused as to why she would even bother with a store she’s only been to once.

“Hmm, nothing in particular. Maybe just looking for a variety? Anyways, we’re here.”

Maka stood in front of a small storefront titles Death City’s Used Books which was nestled between what seemed to be a bar and the back of a housing complex. Not the ideal spot for a bookstore in the least. “How do they even stay in business in a spot like this,” Soul murmured accidentally out loud.

“Word of mouth I presume, come on it’s on as bad inside as it looks on the outside,” Maka said, taking Soul’s hand and pushing him through the creaky door with a ring of the bell. The shopkeep, an older mousy woman, waved at them to welcome them but said nothing. The inside of the stop was cluttered but had a homey feel to it. Overflowing bookshelf reached nearly to the ceiling, and even then books were stacked in piles next to the shelves and on top of them. Soul thought the place looked bigger on the inside than from outside, but he really couldn’t tell with all the books blocking his view.

Maka seemed right at home, immediately being able to weave her way through the stacks of books and shelves, Soul tried to follow- trying not to leave a mess, well more of a mess, behind but there were a few close calls with tightly stacked books and lopsided piles. She ended up kneeling down to look through books on a lower level, spins so worn he couldn’t make out the tiles but she seemed to have no problem. 

Afraid of causing avalanche and not very interested to begin with, Soul just absentmindedly stood at Maka’s side. He realized as he watched her comb through the books, he didn’t really know what kind of books she liked. He just knew she read alot, studied a lot, but never really asked or took interested to learn more than surface level information than anyone who spent any time with Maka could pick out. Soul sighed, bringing his hand p to pinch the bridge of his nose. And here he was, shitting on her for not taking an interest in his hobbies and whatnot.

“You know, if you’re that bored you could try actually looking yourself Soul,” Maka said with slight annoyance.

Soul snapped out of thought only to see Maka staring up at him, annoyed. Shit, he had to think of something to say fast since, he didn’t really want to look for books but he didn’t want to tell her what he had actually been thinking about. But his mind was as empty as the store was cluttered so he went with the former, it was the less embarassing of the two.

It was like a maze inside without Maka to guide him. It seemed like the shelves twisted in impossible ways and every square inch of the store was covered in books. There were signs hanging overheard, which he assumed at one point actually helped people navigate this maze, but they were too faded for him to make out. Just how old was this place?

Just as he was stumbling over yet another pile of books, a glimmer caught his eye. Whipping around to see he saw that he must have made it to the back wall, or at least one of the walls, of the store and it was lined with vinyl. Underneath the hanging records where stacks upon stacks of books, but much thinner than the ones he had been seeing. Picking up one and opening it to a random page, he realized it was a collection of sheet music. He picked up a few more and saw that they were the same. Actually interested, he noticed they seemed to be organized by genre. Rock, Folk, Pop, classical, and ah-ha, there it was, jazz. He started nosing through the piling, finding a mixture of novice to advanced music, all were in quite nice condition considering the store. He worked first on separate the piano music from the rest. While jazz was usually best played as an ensemble, he didn’t exactly have one to play with- even if he did like hell he would let any hear him play anyways. He finally settled on a rather thick booklet of music, able to be played solo on the piano. He chuckled and thought to himself, so Maka was right, there was something here for me after all.

“Soul, would you ever teach me how to play the piano?” a voice suddenly said. He stood up from his crunching position and immediately transformed his arm into a scythe. It was a miracle he somehow managed not destroy any of the books around. In front of him was Maka, holding a stack of thick books, all of them most certainly older than she was.

“Jeez Soul, it's just me. So, would you?”

“What? No. Why?” Soul said transforming his arm back, heart still pounding. 

“Wouldn’t help us resonance better? And plus, it seems like something you enjoy doing, we should share our hobbies.”

“Oh is that why you’re always pushing huge ass books one me? Or having me burn my hand on the stove? Oh, or even when you try to make me do that damn knitting you don’t even know how to do?” Soul sneered with a smug look on his face.

“Damn soul, Tsubaki was trying to teach me! I was just trying to include you. And what, do you plan to not be able to cook for the rest of your life”

“Don’t have to with you around,” Soul said smugly.

Maka blushed at the implications, throwing off her train of thought just as Soul wanted. However, she did set down her books to examine the music. It only took her a second to pull one out and hold it out to Soul, a book jazz duets on the piano. Damn her, of course out of the mess back here she would be able to find that, “Come on Soul, Please.”

Soul just grumbled in response, so Maka changed her approach, “Here, how about you just teach me? You don’t have to play.”

Soul sighed, “You’re not going to give this up, are you?”

“No, I want to know you better Soul, understand you better,” Maka said in all earnestly. 

Now it was Soul’s turn to be embarrassed, looking away from Maka. “Fine. Now can we leave?”

Maka hummed as she picked up her books, “Yeah I supposed I’ve kept you here long enough. Here, let me have your book- I’ll pay. I’m the one that made you came after all.”

Not wanting to put up a fight Soul handed Maka his booklet and followed her to the front desk. It was hard to believe she had only been here once consider how well she navigated it. The old lady bagged up their books and Maka paid with a simple thank you.

Once outside the shop Maka stopped and dug into the bag and held out some to Soul, “here, your books.”

“Books? I only remember getting one.”

“Don’t be an idiot. I got some for you, that’s the main reason we went here. Most of it is detective and noir fiction, cool stuff, so you’ll like it.”

“I don’t remember asking for any books either,” Soul teased just to riffled Maka up.

“Fine! I’ll keep them!” Maka called out and tried to pull them away from Soul put he moved away too fast. She huffed and crossed her arms, “Fine, be that way.”

“Thanks,” Soul said with a slight smile, “I’ll try them out, at least.”

Maka, seemingly satisfied enough with that and turned to go back the way they came, before he started walking Soul took one last look at the little shop. “You know, I would mind coming back.”


End file.
